


Catharsis

by Webtrinsic



Category: Hyrule Warriors: Age of Calamity (Video Game), The Legend of Zelda & Related Fandoms, The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild
Genre: Angst and Hurt/Comfort, Angst with a Happy Ending, Attraction, BAMF Link (Legend of Zelda), Blood and Injury, Devotion, Engagement, F/M, Fear, Guardian Technology, Insecurity, Love Confessions, Not Canon Compliant, Protective Link (Legend of Zelda), Sheikah Slate, Suspicions, Team as Family, Worry
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-03-10
Updated: 2021-03-10
Packaged: 2021-03-17 12:53:41
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,404
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29966673
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Webtrinsic/pseuds/Webtrinsic
Summary: Mipha finds herself separated from the rest of the Champion's while under the belief the love of her life, her betrothed, has perished.
Relationships: Link/Mipha (Legend of Zelda)
Comments: 4
Kudos: 27





	Catharsis

**Author's Note:**

  * For [ladyonuk](https://archiveofourown.org/users/ladyonuk/gifts).



> my poor baby miphaaa, she is so smol and mighty. i just want her and link to be happy together :(

Just because they’d defeated Calamity Ganon, it didn’t mean their work as champions was over. Hyrule was wrought with many dangers, some having been invigorated by the pools and trickles of malice that had overtaken Hyrule under Ganon’s subsequent rule.

Just this week Revali and Daruk had banded together to take down three Lynels who’d been fighting one another for territory causing massive destruction in the process before ultimately banding together to take on the threat of the two champions together.

Daruk had gotten some chipped skin for his trouble while Revali suffered from some plucked and singed feathers. There’d been plenty of team ups, Zelda was the one who picked the groups and Mipha often wondered if the woman was purposefully keeping her out of battle.

She’d seen how the blonde reacted to her father’s request to come home safely, and Mipha had been training vigorously to become strong enough to deserve her place among the champions.  And she’d thought she’d been doing well, believed she’d gotten stronger. Then again, she’d barely managed to kill her blight with her fins intact. In fact she’d been the closest to losing, it’d pained her to send that distress signal, especially as soon as the monster appeared but she’d been under the impression that they were in this together.

They had been, but the healing princess doesn’t feel it now. In fact the only time she has been tasked to go on missions was when they all were, seemingly valuing her grace more than her ability to fight.  This she didn’t truly mind, her healing was a wonderful gift, one she wanted to use to help if it was needed. But there was still the odd feeling of dejection that she didn’t have as much to offer as the others.

She’d trained with Daruk for sometime, hoping to be strong enough to fight alongside the man she loved even though she’d never tell him. She’d had the thought of asking for his assistance before, he’d nearly approached her then and she’d been overcome with nerves, thankfully being saved by a guardian's scuffle.

He has the armor, although when she’d presented it, it had been her own way of keeping him safe when she had initially doubted her ability to assist with something as daunting as Ganon. And al though they’d defeated the Lynel together, she’d embarrassed herself then; completely missing the sneaking Lynel before it’d attacked and he’d fought it off vigorously.

If the creature's fate hadn’t already been decided, it certainly had been when the beast drew it’s bow, arrows sparking with electricity, and pointed it directly at her. Mipha had seen Link jump into protective action plenty of times in her life, but his fury had been unmatched then.

The Hylian was near ravenous, teeth barred as if he had the same daggers as she. He’d spun the master sword in a flurry, breaking the air around the beast in rings. She isn’t ashamed to admit she’d tried her own version of a spin attack with her trident the very next evening.

Mipha briefly pondered asking to train with another of the champions, except truthfully she had no desire for Revali to begrudge her every step of the way, and the princess wouldn’t ask Urbosa, not only because of the lightning risk but also because planning such an event was far too arduous a task. The chieftain’s terrain was deadly for a Zora, and the Zora domain wasn’t the best for training either, again due to the lightning. Plus the distance was detestable, and as noble women with responsibilities finding a time suited to them both was just as challenging. 

The Zora sighed, resolving herself to practice alone in the reservoir. Wishing her friends, Urbosa and Revali well with the mission they’d been called on. The Zora spun through the water, flexing her fins, diving deep down to the bottom before shooting herself back up.  Forcing herself to push through the resistance and fly out of the water, she’s sure she gets a good twelve feet above surface level and it’s enough to make her laugh in triumph. A flapping clap brings her attention away from her excitement, and on the dock with a sharp dazzling grin is the Zora prince.

Smiling sweetly, the princess swims over to her little brother, running a loving hand over his long tail fin.

“Oh sweet Sidon, these feelings are unbecoming of me, aren’t they?” His head tilts in confusion but he must sense her growing turmoil because he shakes his head rather vigorously, as if she couldn’t possibly be anything but perfect, whether that be in her abilities or emotions, or even looks. She was nothing but perfect to her little brother.

“Thank you,” she praises, cupping his darling face. Sidon beams once again and she grins serenely, “Why don’t you join me for a swim?” the young Zora hastily joins the tremor of waves, already attempting the spin she’d been working on seconds ago.

Pulling him onto her shoulders she tries something different, “Why don’t we try this together?” The time she only gets around eight feet into the air but little Sidon with her boost easily hits fifteen.

They laugh joyously in the waves at his accomplishment.

* * *

For the first time in quite some time she is asked to come on a mission, it’s her, Link, and Daruk. The pair both watch astounded when she flares out with a deathly spin and vanquishes their foe with the final stab.

“Woah! Where’d you learn that princess?” Daruk booms and Link nods his head eagerly, intrigued himself.

“Oh,” her cheeks shine in a bashful hue, “After I saw Link’s spin attack with the master sword, I pondered if I could recreate the move into something similar with my trident,”

“Impressive!” the Goron praises before a scheming smirk pulls at his lips and he hits the knights back in the same joyful manner he always did, nearly sending the blond bumping into the princess, “You two make quite the team,”

Mipha had known the Goron champion had been aware of her affections but never had he been so blatant about his teasing. The princess is mortified, cheeks blazing causing her to look away as Link brushes the back of his head awkwardly trying to clear the odd air.

But if she’s not mistaken, there’s blush on the Hylians cheek as well, and now that she really takes him in she also realizes he is not wearing the palace armor he’d rode in, rather he wore the armor she’d made for him.

“I take it’s serving you well?” she asks softly, genuinely curious, hopefully her gift is serving it's purpose if not all of them. Regardless she was sure there’d never be another like him for her to love, she’d made her decision when she’d constructed the armor and imbedded her scale, he didn’t have to return those feelings or give the armor back. Her love was true and even if it was one sided, she still cared enough to want him to find his own happiness even if it didn’t pertain to her.

He nods, smiling, speaking like he hadn’t for such a long agonizing time, and even then he’s never said much, “It’s perfect, I wish I could wear it all the time,” he blushes, turning his head away as well, obviously saying more than he’d even meant too and it sends her heart into a pleased mantra.

It seems the both of them have loose lips, “I missed you,” remembering Daruk was there watching as well, she is quick to assure him as well, “And I missed training with you Daruk!” But it doesn’t carry the same soft longing the other declaration had held and they all know it.

The Goron laughs understating, “We can train anytime you want your majesty!” and with that he’s rolling away, leaving the two champions on their own. When she turns back to the knight he is already looking, she expects him to turn his cheek as he did minutes ago, but he is bold and courageous, determined in the same way he is when he throws himself into battle.

“I missed you too,” they start the long journey home, and when Mipha’s spare horse is taken by rogue bokoblins they don’t extend the effort to get it back, Link assures he’ll wrangle it on his way back to the castle, and she holds onto his back the remainder of the trip.

And when they reach the domain, neither of them speak as he helps her down by the hips or when he leans down and presses his lips to hers. She frames his golden locks reverently and smiles widely enough she and him both are reminded of Sidon.

“I accept the armor, for all it’s intents,” the knight assures, dropping to his knees and procuring a luniscent ring he’d crafted by hand-with the help of Urbosa that is, “Do you accent mine?”

The Zora nods joyously, offering her hand for him to slide on the ring before he rises and their lips are meeting once again. Her advisors (mainly Seggin and Muzu) won't be pleased, but Sidon and her father will, she can’t wait to tell them!

* * *

The five of them work in tandem, fighting a horde of monsters that’d gotten lost in this dark forest maze during the Calamity that hadn’t found their way out. Her keen eyes have an easier time making out the villains, able to see in the dark since the ocean was darker than even this.

Sadly that doesn’t save her from getting separated from the group, and her sight was only so good with the blood from her head wound dripping down her face. She is seconds away from healing herself when there’s a triumphant roar from the monsters and the clatter of a sword hitting the air.

The Zora feels the torrent of fear as the occasional lightning strike lights up the area, still not enough for her to find them, she doesn’t know they're moving now in the opposite direction, searching not only for her but the dropped master sword-this fact the Zora is clueless to.

Especially as her body trips on a branch and she continues to push back enemies, falling back onto the glowing blade littered with blood. The sight of the sword without its wielder is daunting, her betrothed was never to be without such an item, and her mind doesn’t process anything but the worst possible scenario, it only enforced by the torn sleeve of his armor, the armor she’d crafted, a few feet away. 

There’s blood dripping from the maws of some of the beast, and her heart is broken. The Zora lets out a silent scream, destroying most everything in her path although with her carelessness she’s also being torn to ribbons with lacerations and blood loss too.

She cannot heal herself, not as she picks up the bloodied bane of darkness and held it to her chest along with the torn scrap of armor and sobbed herself hoarse. Her body aches, agony screaming from her wounds as she drags her and what she has left of him into the water where she lets herself sink to the bottom in despair.

* * *

The knight is furious and on edge, his sword absent from his grip, his fiance separated from the group, while the armor she’d so carefully crafted was torn by these monsters' hands. It was the Hinox that managed to get him to drop the most important weapon in the universe, its large thundering steps bouncing the blade even further away until another oncoming horde from seemingly nowhere managed to displace the damn thing even further.

His guardian shield thankfully stayed strapped to his arm and provided some much needed light. Urbosa had lessened the lightning, fearing she may hit the Zora since they couldn’t see where she was, Revali had suggested hitting the water but that option was immediately thrown out when they realized if she was outnumbered she’d have retreated to the water for some distance.

Daruk and Urbosa have matching frowns, distressed because with their healer lost they were all at risk, and if she were fatally injured they’d have no way of helping her. It wasn’t the best situation to be in, but they all knew they’d suffered worse hardships.

The Zora was mighty, she would prevail, she had too. For the champions sake, for her people's sake, and more importantly for her betrothed's sake.

* * *

It’s Revali who spots her, his bomb arrows lighting up the surrounding area enough that as he soars the red spot in the water doesn’t go unnoticed. He knows it might not be her, but he gets the knight's attention anyway.

Link doesn’t waste any time diving in, his armor thankfully still providing some boost to his swimming even while broken. He can’t see but as his arms come into contact with sleek yet tough skin, he knows it's her. 

His legs push as he drags them to the surface, he can see by the glow of the shield strapped to his back the master sword is limp in her grasp, as is his missing sleeve. Injuries line her body, and when her bleary eyes open her voice is desperately weak, tinged with disbelief and so much sadness he almost forgets to keep kicking his legs.

“I thought you’d perished,” 

The knight gives her a pained smile, shaking his head as Urbosa and Daruk pull them from the water. He cradles her close and nearly startles with his beloved at Urbosa’s stern tone.

“Mipha you need to heal yourself,” if it had been something less important Link would have been content to ignore the command with Mipha, but he knows this is something that cannot wait. 

Pressing his lips to her forehead, her hands flutter with a teeming glow and Urbosa helps the positioning of her now limp and empty hands-Daruk having picked up the scrap piece and the master sword- and watched as her wounds sewed themselves back together.

They leave the black forest quickly after, Mipha sitting content in her lover's arms as the others pick off the very few monsters left that still seek to block their path. Mipha and Link decide as they come back into the daylight, they’d rather be married sooner than later.

All of their friends, even Revali, agree.

**Author's Note:**

> Snap: allisonw1122  
> Tumblr/twitter: webtrinsic1122  
> Insta:Webtrinsic


End file.
